| All The Big Legal Guns Drawn In High Court Compulsory Acquisition Case |
| Thu, December 19, 2024 |
| It was a big day in the High Court of Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke - as all sides of the Stake Bank dispute gathered to argue the constitutionality of the compulsory acquisition of 23.4 acres of the island. As we have reported, government is compulsorily acquiring the island for the public purpose of developing a cruise port with a berthing facility... |
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It was a big day in the High Court of Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke - as all sides of the Stake Bank dispute gathered to argue the constitutionality of the compulsory acquisition of 23.4 acres of the island. As we have reported, government is compulsorily acquiring the island for the public purpose of developing a cruise port with a berthing facility. But the disputed acreage - currently owned by developer Mike Feinstein - will end up in the hands of his former partners, OPSA, which is a Honduran company.
It's an arrangement ripe for disputation and today attorneys including Godfrey Smith, Eamon Courtenay, Dean Barrow, William Lindo, Magali Marin Young, along with a top Trinidadian attorney and all their juniors gathered in court, and appeared virtually to argue the constitutionality of the acquisition.
They made their arguments all day, and at newstime, Eamon Courtenay was presenting for OPSA, with Godfrey Smith for Mike Feinstein still left to respond.
Arguments are not likely to conclude until after 7:00 tonight.
A decision is then expected some time in January. Until the matter is settled the compulsory acquisition which was initiated in August cannot be completed - and the project remains in limbo. |
